Gear casing



June 7, 1932. SHORT 1,861,942

GEAR CASING Original Filed March 21, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- lr'a Short BY Ow ATTORNEYv w u w w 5 M 3 M z l l S l l 4 5 Il f m l# Wu l 5 G m W n m .M 1 mm I mmWfIJ m w w H MHHIVWMV vl o O MWWMA lo l.. n.. 4 S w E im G w 3 rw M\ l 5 2 2 /m\ F s s 4 WITNESS June 7, 1932. SHORT r 1,861,942

GEAR CASING Original Filed March 21. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY June 7, 1932. SHORT 1,861,942

GEAR CAS ING Original Filed March 21, 1930 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIl ,/-23

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II 3o Fae WITNESS INVENTOR 1 1ra Short ATTORNEY l Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED vsi'm'ras IRA SHORT, OF PROSPECT PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSEELEC- TRIO & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA GEAR CASING f Application led March 21, 1930, Serial No. 437,826. Renewed February 13, 1932.

My invent-ion relates to reduction gearing and more particularly to that of the marine type.

As ordinarily constructed, reduction gearing for reducing the speed of a steam turbine suitably for driving a marine propeller consists of rather heavy gear and pinion members supported by and arranged within a gear casing, the latter being connected to the 0 ships structure. Such gear casings 'have heretofore been cast, and they must be heavy enough to give adequate strength to resist operating stresses.

In accordance with my invention, I provide gearing of the type referred to wherein the casing structure has been modified witha view to preserving a sufficiently strong casing while, at the same time, reducing the weight thereof as compared to reduction gear casings zu of the cast type, my improved gearcasing being fabricated, that is, it consists of a supporting bed frame including beam members welded together and a relatively light plate casing supported by the bed frame and is the object of my invention to provide reduction gearing having a fabricated casing and support.

This and other objects are effected byy my :ie invention,as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this application, in-which:

Fig. 1 is a. plan view, with the cover removed, showing reduction gearing having my improved gear casing;

2 is a fragmentary sectional view of my improved reduction gearing;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewshowing the iioating frame in side elevation;

Fig. et is a detail plan view of the lower part of the casing and showing the rectangular bed frame structure;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line V-V of Fig. 4;

1 welded thereto. Accordingly, therefore, it

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View taken,

along the line VII-VII of Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig.V 8 is a detail view taken along the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 5 and viewed in the didetail, I show reduction gearing including y meshing gear and pinion members 10 and 11 `of the usual type having journal portions 12 and 13, respectively. The journal portions 12jareV carried by bearing constructions 14 andthe journal portions 13 of the pinion member are preferably carried by a suitable floating frame 15. My invention relates to the improved supporting and housing constructionfor the meshing pinion and gear members and it will now be described.

The gearing is enclosed in a housing indicated generally at 18, the housing being made up ofa rectangular supporting bed construction and plate members connected to and carried by t-he bed construction and forming an y enclosure for the gearing.

rlhe bed construction, indicated generally at 20, includes end beams 21, preferably of the rolled and flanged type, for example, I-beams, a side beam 22, which is also preferably an I-beam, and a side cast structure 23, preferably -a cast steel construction.

' As will be clear from Figs. 4 and 8, the side beam 22 is preferably so arranged as t-o abut against like ends of the end beams 21, the web 24 and the flanges 25 of the side beam being welded laterally to the ends of the webs 26 and the flanges 27 of the end beams, the welds being indicated at 2410 and 2210.

The cast side structure 23 is also preferably welded to the end beams 21'; and, to this end,

referring to Figs. 4 and 8, the inner and opposed flanges 2F of such end beams are cut away at one end so that the webs 26 may engage the end surfaces 28 of the casting 23 and so as to provide flanged ends 29 arranged to engage the inner surface 30 of the cast structure (Fig. 8). Preferably, the ends 29 of the flanges 27 and the webs 26 are welded to the end casting 23, the welds beingindicated at 2910 and 2610. Y

The gear member 10 and the pinion member 11 are supported by the rectangular bed frame construction 20. As already pointed out, bearing constructions 14 are provided for the gear member bearings, and these bearing constructions are supported from the upper flanges of the end beams 21 principally by means of plates 32 having their upper ends welded, at 1410, to the bearing constructions 14 and their lower ends welded, at 2710, to the upper flanges 27 of the end beams. .The pinion member is preferably carried by a floating frame 15, the latter being connected, for example, by a flexible or I-beam connection 33, to the side casting structure 23.

rIhe portion of the gear casing functioning as an enclosure is preferably provided by plate material carried by the rectangular frame. Such casing is shown as being comprised by upper and lower parts 35 and 36 (Fig. 5) having mating flanges 37 and 38, respectively, arranged to be secured together by means of bolts in the usual way.

The lower portion of the enclosure is preferably made up of end plates 39 welded to the inner edges of the flanges of the end beams 21, as will be seen from Figs. 4, 6 and 8, such end plates being cut away so as to extend over the end casting 23 and be welded to the top surface thereof as indicated at 4010 in Fig. 3. Y

A side and bottom plate 41 is preferably welded at 4110 (Fig. 5) to the outer edges of the flanges of the side beam 22, extends down below the rectangular frame, and then extends underneath the gear member sufciently so that the bottom en d thereof may be welded to the end casting 23 as indicated at 4210. rl`he side and bottom plate Vmember 41 is welded to the end plates 39 at 4310 (Fig. 6), the latter beingcut away so as to extend about the end beam 22 (Fig. 5) whereby the ends of the latter protrude beyond the casing structure, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8. As will be apparent from Fig. 5, the side and bottom plate 41 is welded to the upper and lower flanges of the'side beams 22 at 4110,' and, as

the webs of the end beams 21 extend in between the flanges 25 of the side beam 22, it is only necessary to notch the end plates 39 to receive the side beam 22 and to put in a filler piece 44 between the upper and lower flanges of the side beam and the plate 41 in order that the plats 39, the plate 41, and the bed frame may form an oil-tight enclosure.

The end plates 39 extend preferably over the casting 23 and are welded thereto at 2310, as shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 7. A bottom extension plate 45 is preferably arranged between the end plates 39 and connected to the latter, as well as to the casting 23, preferably, by welding at 4510. A side plate 46 (Figs. 2 and 5) is arranged between the end plates 39 and it lis welded to the bottom plate 45 and to the side plates 39.

Owing to the floating frame being of greater length than the overall width of the gear member, the end plates 39 are cut away, as indicated at 47, to provide space for the outer end portions of the floating frame; and to complete the enclosure for the floating frame, horizontal plates 48 are welded to the end plates 39 at 4810 (Fig. 3) and vertical plates 50 are welded, at 5010, to the plates 48.

The end plates 39, the side plates 41 and 46,`and the end plate elements 50 of the extension portions of the enclosure for the lloatf ing frame have their upper edges connected to the ange 38 aforesaid, such flange preferably consisting of plate or strip material of suitable thickness welded Vto the plates referred to.

The upper portion of the gear enclosure is made up of end plates 51 and a cover plate 52 welded thereto at 5110, the end plates being cut away as indicated at 53 for the floating frame. `Horizontal plates 54 are welded to the end plates 51 at 5410 and vertical plates 55 are welded at 5510 to the plates 54 to provide extension enclosures for the floating frame. The end plates 51, the outer end plates 55, and the cover plate 52 are welded to suitable plate or strip material to provide the flange 37 aforesaid.

In addition to the end plates 39 serving as a portion of the enclosure for the gearing, such end plates serve also the function of carrying a portion of the gear load and of transmitting stresses set up due to operation of the gearing. Such end plates 39 are preferably welded to the bearing constructions 14 and the diverging plate members 32 so that each bearing construction is supported by a composite plate structure, this particular structure for supporting a gear bearing being disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 426,143, filed February 5, 1930.

yStruts 57 (Fig. 1) are carried by the casing or enclosure and cooperate with the floating frame 15 to maintain the pinion in proper meshing relation with respect to the gearing.

The gearing is preferably arranged to be supported at three points, the end beams 21 preferably having supporting portions 58 beneath the bearing construction 14 and the side casting structure 23 preferably having a supporting portion 59 arranged between the end beams.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised improved reduction gearing wherein the casing structure is fabricated, such casing structure being characterized by a built-up bed frame of strong construction carrying the gear and pinion elements and a relatively light metallic casing serving to enclose the gearing. The bed frame is, in general, rectangular and especially constructed and arranged to accommodate reduction gearing of the type wherein two bearings are provide-d for the driving pinion, that is, there is no bearing arranged between the toothed portions of the pinion member. Gearing constructed in this way has the advantage, for the same strength and capacity as heretofore, of being made relatively much lighter. Furthermore, materials best suited for the various parts may be used.

lVhile I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by tlie prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. The combination with meshing pinion and gear members and the gear member' having journal portions of a supporting construction for the pinion and gear members comprising a supporting bed construction including a transversely-extending supporting side member, a transversely-extending side beam, and a pair of parallel end beams having like terminal portions welded to terminal portions of the transversely-extending side beam and having opposed flanges thereof cut away at the other end portions so that the ends of the ciit-away flanges and webs of the end beams may be welded to the transversely-extending side member; bearing constructions cooperating with the journal portions of the gear member; means carried by the end beams and supporting the bearing constructions; and means carried by said transversely-extending side member for supporting the pinion.

2. The combination as claimed in claim l wherein the end beams have their flanges cut away to provide for welding of the cut away ends of such flanges and the webs of the end beams to said tranversely-extending member and wherein the transversely-extending beam member has its web and flanges welded respectively to the webs and flanges of the end beams.

3. The combination with meshing pinion and gear members and the gear member having journal portions, of a supporting and casing construction for the pinion and gear members comprising a rectangular bed frame including parallel end beams, a Vside beam having its ends portions connected to the end portions of the end beams at one side of the vgear member, and a side connecting structure connected to the end beams at the other side of the gear member; bearing construc- 'tionsfor the gear member journal portions; Vmeans connected tothe bearing constructions and to the end beamsjfor supporting the former above thelatter; means carried by said-side connecting structure for supporting I the pinion member, and a relatively light metallic casing enclosing the gearing and entirely supported by the bed frame by having at least the lower portion thereof welded to the bed frame.

4. The combination with meshin kpinion and gear members and the gear mem er having journal portions, of a supportingand casing construction for the pinionv and gear` j members comprising a rectangular bed frame including parallel end beams, a side beam welded to the end beams, and a side connecting structure welded to the end beams; bearing constructions for the journal portions of the gear member and arranged above said K side beams; supports for the bearing constructions welded to the latter and to the end beams; supporting means for the pinion member carried by said side connecting structure; and a relatively light metallic casing ico members comprising a rectangular bed frame Y including parallel end beams, a side beam, and-a side connecting structure, said end beams and the side beams being of the flanged and webbed type with the flanges and web of the end beams welded, respectively, to the a flanges and web of the side beam and the end beams having their webs welded to said side connecting structure; bearing constructions for the journal portions of the gear member; means for supporting the bearing constructions above tlie end beams including members welded to the bearing constructions and to the upper flanges of the end beams; a floating frame cooperating with the journal portions of the pinion member and carried by said side i.

connecting structure; and a casing for the gearing embodying plate members welded to said rectangular bed frame.

6. The combination with meshing pinion and gear members and the gear member having journal portions, of a supporting and casing construction for the pinion andgear members comprising a rectangular bed frame including end I-beams, a side I-beam, and a side connecting casting, the side I-beam having its flanges and its web welded at one side to the ends of the Webs and flanges of the end beams and inner and opposed flanges of the end beams being cut away and the Webs and ends of the inner flanges of the end beams being Welded to said side connecting casting; bearing constructions for the gear member journal portions; means for supporting the bearing constructions above the iianges of the end I-beams including plate members Welded to the bearing constructions and to the upper Vflanges of the end I-beams; supporting means for the pinion member carried by said side casting; and a casing for the gearing supported by said rectangular bed frame and embodying plate members welded to the latter.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of March,

IRA SHORT. 

